Viability
of CTU buses in question2,340 operate 400 buses;
occupancy rate below 30 pcChandigarh, December 18While the high purchase committee
of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking is likely to take a decision on
December 20 to purchase 50 more buses to replace worn-out buses,
transport experts have questioned the viability of the purchase of
52-seater buses.

Traders
to observe bandh todayChandigarh, December 18On a call given by the Chandigarh
Beopar Mandal, traders of the city will observe a bandh tomorrow. The
mandal, on the other hand, presented the opinion of the advocate, Mr S.
K. S. Bedi, according to which the Chandigarh Administration should have
appointed a rent controller while making amendment to the East Punjab
Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 last month.

Man
duped of Rs 3 lakhChandigarh, December 18Three impostors have reportedly
duped Mr R. Paul, a Sector 37 resident, of Rs 3 lakh by giving him fake
jewellery. A case of cheating has been registered. Mr Paul told the
police that about 10 days back a man in his twenties, who identified
himself as Ashok, had come to purchase medicines at his shop.

Cruel
mom, motherly copsChandigarh,
December 18Beat staff of Sector 17
Police Station today rescued a three-year-old-boy, left locked
in a Santro car for well over an hour by his shopping enthusiast
mother. But they were left as astounded when the mother walked
away without a word of thanks to them.

RAPE CASEVictim
seeks nullification of her earlier statementsChandigarh, December 18The victim in the Shimla-girl rape
case today sought intervention of the Punjab Governor and UT
Administrator, the Adviser to Administrator, the UT Home Secretary, the
UT Inspector-General of the Police (IG), the UT Senior Superintendent of
the Police (SSP) requesting that she be allowed to get her statement
recorded again.

PM
to open Punjabi conventionChandigarh, December 18Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh will be
among the luminaries who will be attending the International Punjabi
Convention starting in New Delhi on December 22. The formal inauguration
will be done by the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee, on December 23.

Zirakpur, December 18Traffic on the busy
Kalka-Ambala National Highway was disrupted for over four hours
following chaotic scenes because of a function organised by a
Congress leader.

Vehicles lined up in long queues on the busy Kalka-Ambala highway as Congress supporters and security guards of the VIPs parked their vehicles in a haphazard manner creating a chaotic scene in Zirakpur on Wednesday.
—Photo Manoj Mahajan

‘Kambakht’
girl for Forest Hill NY bashChandigarh, December 18Year after year the charm of time
only grows, never wanes. As the cycle of days comes round, it is time
once again to hit the zenith of celebration with style. For once someone
in the city has cared to let off the New Year plans much before the
customary time.

Chandigarh, December
18It’s no wonder that this
eating joint has had to open another branch within a year of its
launch. The eatery has had everything going right for it right
from the word go. And the reasons are not far to know.

Cop
honoured for honestyChandigarh, December 18A constable Baljeet Singh posted at
the Industrial Area police station, returned a mobile phone, which he
had found lying on a road in Sector 8, to its owner, here today.

Booked
for cheatingPanchkula, December 18In a case of criminal breach of
trust and cheating, the police has booked Baljit Singh, a resident of
Sector 10, on the complaint of Mr Rambir Singh of Barwala. According to
the complainant, Baljit Singh has cheated him of Rs 1.5 lakh on the
pretext of helping him in getting visa for the USA.

Chandigarh/SAS Nagar,
December 18In the wake of a recent
series of burglaries in the city and its outskirts, a joint search
operation was carried out by the Chandigarh and SAS Nagar police
forces in Palsora, Chandigarh, and jhuggi dwellings in SAS Nagar
today.

Stung by a spate of burglaries, the UT police rounded up several suspected persons who were later let off after identification in Sector 39 police station, Chandigarh, on Wednesday.
— A Tribune photograph

Sub-Inspector
gets clean chitChandigarh, December 18After a departmental enquiry,
Sub-Inspector Labh Singh, who was sent to the Police Lines as he had
sent an untraced report in a gang rape case in which all accused were
arrested, was yesterday given a clean chit.

A fight for a toe
hold in the shoe business has made the market grow to be known as
the best in north India for providing number of varieties. Except
possibly Delhi and Mumbai, nowhere else one would find such a wide
variety of shoes. Vice President of the Sector 17 D Market
Association Gurjeet Singh said he had visited most of shoe shops
in the country, but the kind of variety these shops in the sector
had was nowhere to be seen.A view of Sector 17-D. —
Photo Manoj Mahajan

Showroom
site fetches Rs 4.26 crChandigarh, December 18In what is a record of sorts, a
showroom site in Sector 34 was auctioned for a whopping Rs 4.26 crore.
The CHB netted Rs 14.91 crore by auctioning four commercial sites. This
is the highest bid ever for a commercial site.

‘Evaluation
process needs to be revamped’Chandigarh, December 18Loopholes in evaluation of
answersheets came to the fore at a meeting of the academic forum of
Panjab University. A questionnaire by a Fellow, Prof P.P. Arya, forced
deliberations on the issue. Fellows felt that a high-level committee
should be constituted to seek remedies in tying up the loose ends.

More than the capital
involved, it is the zeal of execution that brings home the most
ambitious of projects. And when the project relates to translating
the enormity of sacrifice into a concrete space that can qualify
as a War Memorial, the task becomes more challenging.

Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd) looks at a proposed model of War Memorial prepared by students of the College of Architecture, in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
— A Tribune photograph

Poll
process of PU deans overChandigarh, December 18The process to elect deans of
different faculties of Panjab University has been completed, official
sources said here today. Dr Deepak Manmohan was elected dean of the
faculty of languages unanimously. Except for the science faculty that
witnessed election, all others were unanimous candidates.

Tiny
tots captivate audienceSAS Nagar, December
18The annual-day function of
the Shemrock group of schools witnessed a three-hour dazzling
display by tiny tots, who danced to lilting music on the campus of
Shemrock Senior Secondary School, Sector 69, here today.

Panchkula, December
18The annual function of the
senior wing of Satluj Public School, Satluj Pride, was held here
yesterday. Mr Nek Chand, Director of Rock Garden, was the chief
guest, while Mr Dinesh Mongia, cricketer, presided over the
function.

Cricketer Dinesh Mongia interacts with students of Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula, during the annual function of the school.
— A Tribune photograph

CJ’s
directive on filesChandigarh, December 18The Chief Justice of the Punjab and
Haryana High Court has directed the Joint Registrar to ask Special
Secretaries, Court Secretaries and the Readers to return the files of
cases not allotted to their Judges as per the roster.

Chandigarh, December
18Thousands of advocates
practising in the High Court, district courts, consumer courts,
and debts recovery tribunals observed a day’s strike following a
call given by the Bar Council of India against the amendments in
Legal State Services Authority and Civil Procedure Code.

Lawyers sit in the sun as they abstained from work
following a strike call by the Bar Council of India, in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
— A Tribune photograph

Lawyers
to boycott Judicial MagistrateKharar, December 18Local lawyers have decided not to
conduct cases in the court of Mr Roshan Lal Choahan, Judicial
Magistrate, due to his alleged misbehaviour. A resolution in this regard
was passed unanimously at the meeting of the Bar Association, held here
yesterday under the presidentship of Mr Anil Kaushiq.

A
show of Aadhe AdhureChandigarh, December 18Studio Challenge today presented
another show of Aadhe Adhure, a play directed by Nima Dandona, at Tagore
Theatre. The play was a reflection on aspirations, frustrations,
adjustments and attitudes of a modern middle-class family.

Selection
trials on Jan 2Chandigarh, December 18The selection trials for the day
boarding scheme of the Sports Authority of India in DAV Senior Secondary
School, Sector 8, will be held on January 2 and 3. According to Mr
Ravinder Talwar, Principal of the school, the age group identified is
from 13 to 19 years for football and handball disciplines.

Closing
time limit for shops in SAS Nagar likelySAS Nagar, December 18For the first time ever, all
showrooms, restaurants, dhabas, rehri markets and rehris operating in
the township are likely to face closing time limit. This was stated by
the Superintendent of Police, Mr Harcharan Singh Bhullar, while
addressing a meeting of traders and shopkeepers of the township at the
Phase VIII police station here today.